Repotting Easter Lily to Make It Grow Back Every Year—ready to see blooms return again? Learn the simple trick to keep it coming back
Easter lily is a popular plant during Easter because of its beautiful white flowers, which are linked to purity and Christianity. But after the flowers fade, many people throw the plant away without knowing it can keep growing. You can repot it in fresh soil or plant it outside to grow again every year. Here’s how to do both, along with simple care tips and mistakes to avoid.
Repotting Easter Lily to Make It Grow Back Every Year
Repotting an Easter Lily Indoors
When to Repot an Easter Lily Indoors
Repot your Easter lily in winter when the plant is resting. This helps you avoid disturbing it while it is growing and lowers the risk of breaking the stem during repotting.
When picking a new pot, choose a heavy one like clay or glazed clay. This is important because the plant can become top-heavy when it is full of flowers.
How Often to Repot an Easter Lily Indoors
Repot your Easter lily every 1–2 years to keep the soil fresh, light, and airy. Over time, the potting mix breaks down and doesn’t leave enough space for the roots to breathe.
As the bulb grows, move it to a slightly bigger pot. Make sure the bulb takes up about half of the pot’s width for best growth.
How to Repot an Easter Lily Indoors
To repot an Easter lily, wait until the stem dries and dies back in fall or winter. Then gently take the plant out of its pot. Loosen the roots and remove the old soil carefully.
Add fresh soil to the pot, place the bulb at the same depth as before, fill in more soil around it, and water it well.
Repotting Easter Lily Outdoors
When to Repot an Easter Lily Outdoors
If you live in zones 4 to 8, planting Easter lilies outside is the best way to keep them growing after they finish blooming indoors.
The best time to plant an Easter lily outside is in spring. Wait until nights are warm (at least 55°F) and daytime temperatures are around 60–65°F.
Make sure there is no risk of frost in your area, as cold weather can damage or kill the plant.
How to Repot an Easter Lily Outdoors
To plant an Easter lily outside, first help it adjust to outdoor conditions. Keep it in shade for a few days, then slowly give it more sunlight over a week. This step, called hardening off, helps prevent shock.
After that, remove it from the pot and choose a sunny spot with well-draining soil. If your soil is heavy, mix in compost or perlite. Dig a 4–6 inch deep hole, place the plant, fill with soil, and water well.
How to Care for Easter Lily in Its New Pot
Whether you plant your Easter lily outside or keep it in a pot, the care is mostly the same. It needs bright light, well-draining soil, and fertilizer once a month during the growing season. Keep the soil slightly moist—don’t let it dry out, but also avoid letting water sit in the pot.
One important thing to remember is that Easter lilies need a cold period to bloom. Outdoors, this happens naturally. But indoors, you’ll need to place the plant in a cool spot during its dormant phase to help it bloom again.
Mistakes to Avoid
Repotting and caring for an Easter lily is quite easy, but there are a few common mistakes you should avoid.
- Breaking the stem: If you break the green stem, the plant loses energy needed to make flowers. The leaves help store energy for next year’s blooms.
- Using the wrong soil: When repotting indoors, always use a potting mix made for containers. Avoid garden soil because it is too heavy and may bring pests or diseases.
- Choosing the wrong pot size: Using a pot that is too big can harm the plant. Too much extra soil can hold water and cause the bulb to rot. Pick a pot that is only slightly bigger than the current one.
